


Where Everyone You Know Never Leaves Too Soon

by god-damn-it-Gerome (Just_East)



Series: Big Gay High School AU [4]
Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Eating Disorders, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 05:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15163202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_East/pseuds/god-damn-it-Gerome
Summary: Python knew the moment it clicked for Tobin.He saw how Tobin's eyes widened and he looked scared for a moment.Python knew how that felt.It was scary watching people you cared about suffer.It was scarier when they were doing it to themselves.





	Where Everyone You Know Never Leaves Too Soon

**Author's Note:**

> Angel's On The Moon by Thriving Ivory is the inspiration for the title.

"What's up with Tobin and Gray lately?" Python asked.

He was sprawled across the cafeteria bench with his head in Forsyth's lap.

Forsyth had tried, futilely to push him off a couple times, but Python always came back.

His feet were in Lukas' lap, and the redhead was idly stroking Python's ankle while he read a book.

Python nudged Lukas' stomach with his shoe.

"Take a bite, Lukas." He said in a nearly bored tone.

Lukas obediently paused his stroking to take a small bite of his meatloaf.

Python wasn't exactly satisfied with the small amount of food that Lukas had ingested that day, but it was progress.

"Tobin and Gray?" Forsyth repeated around a mouthful of food.

Both Python and Lukas frowned, though Lukas didn't look up from his book.

"Yeah, Gray's been missing school, and Tobin looks like he's been constantly sucking on a lemon for the past two weeks." Python said thoughtfully.

"I don't think we should gossip about that, Python." Lukas said with a frown, _still_ not looking up from his book.

"It's not gossip if it's just between the three of us." Python shrugged as best he could in his current position.

"It's never just between the three of us when it's with you, Python." Lukas looked straight at Python then with a raised eyebrow.

"That's cold." Python whined at Lukas.

"I heard that Gray's been temporarily suspended from the football team." Forsyth said. "It sucks, he was a really good player and the only one who could shut Fernand up."

Python sat up then, interested.

"Why was he suspended from football?" Python asked.

"Don't encourage him, Forsyth." Lukas said, disapproving.

"Aw, Lukas, are you getting protective?" Python teased.

"I don't think Gray or Tobin would appreciate their private lives made public." Lukas said, voice stiffer than Python had heard it in a while.

Forsyth was oddly silent, smart enough to stay out of the spat.

Python sighed.

"Would you have us ignore it? Maybe we can help." Python said finally, eyes glancing over to where Tobin sat with his usual group. Gray was missing. Again.

Lukas looked considering.

"I don't know what we could do." Lukas admitted quietly.

"Tobin looks pretty constipated." Python said, ignoring Forsyth's scandalized noise.

"No, but listen. Maybe he could use someone to talk to." Python said, a plan forming in his head.

Maybe if Gray thought he was going to lose Tobin, he'd get his head out of his ass.

Python normally wouldn't care, but he had an odd little soft spot for the scrappy little twink who clearly had no idea how to handle any of this.

He'd teased Tobin, not maliciously, but playfully, for years, and he respected the fight he had in him.

It was odd to see him so subdued.

It was odd to see him without Gray.

"You _are_ a good listener." Lukas said with a nod.

"But how do you expect to talk to him?" Forsyth asked, unsure.

"Hey Tobin!" Python called to the boy who was a couple tables away.

"C'mere!" He called again once Tobin's eyes met his.

The boy looked suspicious.

It was enough to make Python grin. Smart boy.

He was surprised when Tobin actually brought his lunch over to their table and sat across from them stiffly.

"Hello, Tobin." Lukas greeted the boy with a smile, all serene charm and warm, comfy vibes.

Lukas would make a great teacher one day, Python thought. And to think he'd almost slipped away...

"Hi!" Forsyth chirped with entirely too much cheer for the situation.

Tobin was still looking suspiciously at Python, but he turned a friendlier gaze on Lukas. He actually _smiled_ at the redhead.

Python couldn't blame him.

Python leant on Lukas for a moment, picking at Lukas' meatloaf.

"Man, is this appetizing." Python said sarcastically, putting a small bite on Lukas' fork.

"Open up, stud." Python grinned salaciously at Lukas, who obediently took the offered bite.

Tobin watched them with a weary gaze.

"So I heard you lost your study partner." Python said casually, watching the way Tobin tensed up at the mention of the absent Gray.

"Thought you might like to upgrade." He winked at Tobin, ignoring Forsyth's somehow loud eyeroll.

Tobin blinked a couple times, a bit confused.

"Come on, twinky, talk math with me," Python leaned across the table with a smirk, "gods know Forsyth won't."

"Hey! I'm not good at math." Forsyth muttered unhappily.

"We all have our strengths and weaknesses." Lukas soothed.

"Except you, mister perfect." Python raised a brow at Lukas. "Brain _and_ brawn, and a gorgeous smile to boot. It takes both me and Forsyth to match you. Obviously I'm the brain and good looks. Forsyth is the muscle."

Again, he could hear Forsyth's eyeroll. But Lukas was barely holding back a laugh, and Tobin wasn't even trying to hide his small snorts of amusement.

~

"Are you sure Lukas and Forsyth are fine with this?" Tobin asked, sounding more uncertain than Python had ever heard him.

"What, you gonna jump me, twinky?" Python grinned.

"I hate it when you call me that." Tobin muttered even as he removed his shoes at the door.

Lukas had been kind enough to lend Python and Tobin his small apartment for the evening.

Lukas and Forsyth were out on a date, and Python wanted a quiet, secluded space to talk with Tobin.

He waited until Tobin was sat with him on the rug in front of the TV with a glass of water. The television was off, and they were idly playing go fish, neither really paying much attention to the game.

The apartment was almost too quiet.

"So." Python started, voice casual.

"So?" Tobin asked archly, not quite tense, mostly relaxed enough to be his pissy self.

Python could appreciate that.

"You and Gray." Python watched the way Tobin dropped his eyes to his cards.

"What's happening, twinky?" Python asked, putting his cards down.

Tobin sighed, the fight seeming to leave him.

"He's... he's having trouble." He looked up at Python then. "He's scaring me."

Tobin had said it so quietly. Python nodded.

He waited for Tobin to continue.

Tobin looked down at his glass of water like it held all the answers.

"He drinks too much." He said finally, "He's never at school because he's either hungover or still drunk."

Python nodded again.

"That's tough, Tobin." He said, just as quietly.

Tobin nodded, seeming exhausted.

"Why don't you stay the night?" Python suggested. "It's getting late and you seem tired. Don't worry- Lukas said it was okay."

Tobin didn't argue, which really showed Python how he was feeling.

So they continued playing go fish, both subdued, but enjoying the other's company.

~

Python knew something was wrong the minute Forsyth opened the door and walked in with Lukas.

Lukas was a proper gentleman. He always opened the doors for Python and Forsyth if he could, no matter how many times they both reminded him that they weren't girls, or in the Victorian Era.

Python was on alert instantly, and even Tobin seemed to pick up on it.

"Lukas, why don't you sit with Tobin and Python and I'll get you something to drink." Forsyth's voice was uncharacteristically soft, which was the next red flag for Python.

When Forsyth disappeared into the kitchen, definitely doing more than just getting Lukas a drink, Python knew what was wrong.

He immediately got up and intercepted Lukas, who was for once not doing as he was told, and was heading for the bathroom.

"Hey hey now, hot stuff." Python cooed softly, grabbing Lukas by his too tense shoulders and sitting him down on the couch.

"I'd like to go to the bathroom." Lukas said softly, a slight tremble in his voice.

Tobin was frozen, eyes wide.

Python knew he was feeling like he was interrupting, but in a lot of ways he'd just spilled his guts to Python. And Python knew that Lukas trusted Tobin.

"Not right now, babe." Python sat on Lukas' lap, essentially forcing him to stay seated.

Forsyth came out of the kitchen with a nutritional shake and the leftover veggie lasagna that was Lukas' favorite.

It wasn't a large piece, but he still felt Lukas tense up further at the sight of it.

"I could... go..." Tobin offered quietly.

Lukas kicked into good host mode. "Of course not, Tobin. It's late and you are more than welcome to stay the night."

Forsyth gave the drink to Python, who handed it to Lukas.

Python noticed that Lukas was shaking lightly.

"Just half of this, babe." Python urged gently, handing the glass to Lukas.

Lukas clearly wanted to pretend that things were normal, so he quietly took a sip.

"More than that, darling." Python encouraged, and Lukas drank more, hand shaking visibly now.

When the redhead had finished half the glass, Forsyth took it back.

Forsyth sat next to Tobin on the rug, quiet and worried.

Python then fed Lukas four bites of the lasagna before Lukas turned his head away, shame colouring his cheeks.

Python knew the moment it clicked for Tobin.

He saw how Tobin's eyes widened and he looked scared for a moment.

Python knew how that felt.

It was scary watching people you cared about suffer.

It was scarier when they were doing it to themselves.


End file.
